for the other local predators.

After breakfast (and a quick little landscaping project for the She-Wolf) I decided to take advantage of a beautiful spring morning and take a little stroll. We'd already seen a flock of turkeys below the house right after daylight, so I was interested in seeing what else might be on the move this morning.

Slinging the little Sako L461 .223 over my shoulder, I left the house pasture through the east gate and then turned south. I wanted to slowly work out a little basin filled with blackjack and post oaks as that area has produced both hogs and coyotes for me in the past.

With the little rifle in my hands I slipped into the edge of the trees and hadn't made thirty steps when a flicker of movement caught my eye just ahead and to my right. A female coyote was slipping along through the thick stuff, unaware of my presence. I eased the rifle up and, when she stepped from behind a clump of skunkbush, dropped her at about twenty steps.

Cranking another round into the chamber, I saw a big male running toward us through the trees, unsure of what the hell had just happened. The understory of brush was thick enough that all I could do was wait and see if a shot presented itself. When he got within about thirty steps of his fallen comrade, he decided something wasn't right and turned east, still at a high lope.

I swung with him and, when he crossed a narrow gap about twenty yards from me, dumped him in a pile.

OK, so maybe I didn't get as much of a morning walk in as I'd planned...but I'll certainly accept the results!

Mark

Its always a good day to walk when you can dust a couple of those critters.

That'll save 12-15 new fawns this year.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
That'll save 12-15 new fawns this year.

And untold turkeys

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
That'll save 12-15 new fawns this year.

Beat me to it.

Well done sir, a pile of coyotes is a good thing, morning noon or night.

good job.. kill'um all

Good shooting!

Aren't those little Sakos great? I call the L461 the Royal Princess of bolt actions. It is impossible to own too many of them.

I wholeheartedly agree! They are such a petite little delight...perfectly matched for the .222 family of cases.

I own a pair (the .223 and a 6x45) and am looking for another as I wont be happy until I've got one in .221!

Mark

Nice! Fun too.

quote:

I own a pair (the .223 and a 6x45) and am looking for another as I wont be happy until I've got one in .221!

I stumbled onto a little beauty in .221 Fireball built by a Texas gunsmith on and L461 action for an older gentleman who fell ill and apparently never used it. It shoots "lights out". I absolutely love the little cartridge and shoot it more than any other of my .22 Centerfires.

I just happen to need a fresh yote skull to mount on the antenna of my truck!

That’s what I am talking about!!!

Believe you need an evening walk too! I'd just walk all the time if I could have that much fun!

God Bless, Louis

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
I stumbled onto a little beauty in .221 Fireball built by a Texas gunsmith on and L461 action for an older gentleman who fell ill and apparently never used it. It shoots "lights out". I absolutely love the little cartridge and shoot it more than any other of my .22 Centerfires.

OK, if you wanted to make me jealous you've succeeded admirably!

I fell in love with the .221 back in the '70s when I picked up one of the old XP-100s. Made me a believer in both the cartridge and the "pistol" as sub-MOA groups were almost easy to achieve (even with only a tiny Leupold 2X on top!).

I'm not surprised about your results in that L461...I always figured that the Fireball would be everything I'd want inside of 250 yards, and be well-mannered in the process!

Mark

223 for coyotes? Wont kill em, you need ATLEAST a .300 mag. Those pictured aren't dead.

Since the range was so short, I'm sure they both THOUGHT I had a .300...and perished on the spot!

While I'm not one that believes that the sun rises and sets on the .223 and the .223 alone, the cartridge performs quite well when kept within its abilities. Of course, the same can be said for old cowboys like me...

Mark

quote:

I'm not surprised about your results in that L461...I always figured that the Fireball would be everything I'd want inside of 250 yards, and be well-mannered in the process!

The Fireball turns in an amazing performance with any of the 40 grain plastic-tipped bullets -- Nosler Ballistic Tip, Hornady V-Max, and the economical but very good Nosler Varmageddon. All shoot pretty much the same in my two Fireballs. The right amount of either AA 2200 or AA 1680 launches them at around 3400 fps and I've found them to be as effective on prairie dogs as any larger .22 centerfire.

I've also got an L461 in .20 Vartarg. A 32 grain Varmageddon at 3650 fps seems to do about anything the parent cartridge will in terms of small varmints at long ranges.

If you have the L461 in.223 just get yourself some Trail Boss, Blue Dot, or 4759 and down load it to .221 performance levels and pretend you got a .221
roger

Aw, c'mon Roger...that's WAY too practical! Where's the fun in THAT?

Better to source a hard-to-come-by action, get it barreled and chambered in a quasi-obscure cartridge, stock and scope it and...Bob's your uncle...you're ready to go!

See, isn't that much more fun than downloading a .223? Along with being several orders of magnitude more costly and infinitely more frustrating, of course!!

Mark (who, now that you've mentioned it, has to at least TRY it! Where's my Trail Boss?)

quote:

Originally posted by 218 Bee:
Aw, c'mon Roger...that's WAY too practical! Where's the fun in THAT?

Better to source a hard-to-come-by action, get it barreled and chambered in a quasi-obscure cartridge, stock and scope it and...Bob's your uncle...you're ready to go!

See, isn't that much more fun than downloading a .223? Along with being several orders of magnitude more costly and infinitely more frustrating, of course!!

Mark (who, now that you've mentioned it, has to at least TRY it! Where's my Trail Boss?)

I must have lost my head. U R right.
Now what I suggest is that you get a 22 Jet rimless made by Jim Kobe , Cut down and size .223 brass using Butch's bushing. If you do it with a #1 or #3 Ruger you have it chambered for the rimmed version and it will handle both the rimmed and rimless brass. I know from experience. Oh! for starters you can use the low ball .218 data.
roger

See? I KNEW there was a more expensive, more complex answer out there...there always is! The sometimes-silliness is half the fun!

Oh well, to quote Bror Blixen, "Life is life and fun is fun, but it's all so quiet when the goldfish die."

Thanks!

Mark

My all time favorite rifle is a custom rifle I made, its my African varmint rifle, An L-461 in a 6x45 with a blood red full fiddle back walnut stock, pancake cheek piece, Neidner butt and grip, short forearm, Ebony FE tip, mod. 70 safety, 18 inch barrel,0 tolerance bench rest camber, 4.5 lbs, walk about..Actually shot more deer and antelope than varmints, but plenty of both..27 grs of H335 and a 80 gr. GS Customs lays them all down pronto..Love that little petite rifle and than smooth Sako action..No its not control feed, but I can live with it for what I hunt with it..Lots of high dollar offers but it,s still home and that's rare indeed.

I understand entirely, Ray...my little AI in 6x45 won't ever leave my vault (at least while I'm drawing breath). It's a svelte little combo that punches above its weight class and you almost forget you're carrying it!

Nice shootin', Tex.

Just like saying that.

quote:

my little AI in 6x45 won't ever leave my vault

Why

I see where I might not have been clear...it’ll never leave my possession!

It’ll leave the vault to get used plenty!

Sorry for any confsion...